Yvon Dupuis, co-founder of Diku Dlilenga (Canada), had the honor to be named "Radio-Canada's Le Droit personality of the week" for the week of January 14, 2008. Le Droit is a francophone newspaper published in the Gatineau region of Canada. Find below the transcript from "Le Droit"s article.

The article was published on the Le Droit website (in French), the week of January 14, 2008. A copy of the article, nearly identical (without the ads), is archived in our site.

Monday, January 14, 2008

YVON DUPUIS
The man who defies poverty

Charles Thériault
Le Droit.

Yvon Dupuis puts his efforts in fighting extreme poverty in the world.

This former federal government civil servant works at the Gatineau's chapter of Résultats Canada, an organization that advocates in favour of the fight against poverty and exercises pressure to governments so that they would dedicate more resources and money to this fight. Résultats Canada is a Canadian affiliate of a similar organization created in the United States.

"There are similar groups in nine countries in the world and I'm trying to create new chapters of Résultats Canada in the country in order to find more people. One has to always remind politicians the importance of the fight against poverty in the world. We don't have to be embarrassed because we are the politicians' bosses, not the other way around. It's easy to forget poverty among all other priorities. We are preoccupied by our daily challenges but we forget that the world is getting smaller. The famous "global village" is a reality and what goes on elsewhere in the world impacts us all. Indeed, diseases travel the planet in few days", assert M. Dupuis.

From Agenteuil to Gatineau

Originally from Saint-Pierre d'Argenteuil, near Lachute, Yvon Dupuis grew up along the river Outaouais. His father worked in a less known profession: that of lock keeper. "He worked in the canal de Carillon that allowed ships to avoid water rapids from Long-Sault between Grenville and Carillon. After Hydro-Québec built the Carillon dam, in the early sixties, my father no longer had a job and was transferred to the Rideau Canal where he was a lock keeper for a number of years. I remember, our first house was in the region was located I Boulevard Saint-Raymond. We were four children and, we the two boys, slept in the living room, since the house was very small", M. Dupuis said while smiling.

Uprooted at the age of 16, Yvon Dupuis decided to enter the job market and quickly found work with the federal government. He spent his entire career with Revenue department and since he started with the federal government at a young age, he was able to retire early at the age of 55.

Father of two children and grand father twice, Yvon Dupuis recognizes that his life was relatively easy. "Life had spoiled me. My children and grand children are happy and in good health. I would like all the children in the world to experience the same happiness and that's why I've been interested in Résultats Canada. In 1991, a UNICEF's report revealed that 42,000 children were dying every day due to extreme poverty. Why do these many children die while we have developed sophisticated technologies available? I decide to try to find the answers", added M. Dupuis.

Résultats Canada

Résultats Canada does not organize large international development projects but it supports micro-credit, a known development way for its effectiveness in fighting poverty.

The microcredit consist of granting very small loans (sometimes less than $100) to people who are unable to obtain loans from the bank but have a good business project. "In Kenya, like in many countries, micro-credit is mostly targeted towards women who want to have their own small commerce or start a small business. In 1999, approximately fifty street women, who wanted to get themselves out of the misery, gathered funds to create this system. Today, the fund has 170,000 clients. But this micro credit system must be well organized in order to be successful.

In DR of the Congo, a similar organization called Diku Dilenga also provides micro credit. It's people from here that have gathered money to help start this project. There are reliable people that manage these funds in DR of the Congo", explains M. Dupuis.

Yvon Dupuis devotes part of his time to Résultats Canada but he has also other leisures. He is a choir member at Sainte-Élisabeth de Cantley church and he plays golf. "I also like to walk. During several years, I lived in downtown of sector Hull and I could walk to work or by bicycle. But what I like most is to learn, learning all the time. At 59, I'm still learning and it makes me very happy".

M. Dupuis would like to also travel to some third world countries. He was scheduled to travel to Kenya to ascertain the success of micro credit's projects but side injuries didn't allow him to travel. He hopes to go to Kenya when feasible. "There are many good ideas to build on in order to create friendly links all over and build a better world", he concluded.

You can listen to personality of the week every Monday at 8h40, in Bernier and company's programme which is broadcast through la radio-Canada, 90.7FM as well as during TV noon newshour, anchored by Nathalie Tremblay, Radio Canada television.